Pharmacological modification of retinal and visual function and relation to control of refractive error. Myopia (short-sightedness) affects many hundreds of millions of people worldwide and can lead to blindness. Drug treatments that prevent myopia are being developed, however there is no efficient way of determining who is at risk of myopia or who will benefit from these treatments. This fundamental research project will determine the retinal and visual effects of pharmacologic agents that inhi ....Pharmacological modification of retinal and visual function and relation to control of refractive error. Myopia (short-sightedness) affects many hundreds of millions of people worldwide and can lead to blindness. Drug treatments that prevent myopia are being developed, however there is no efficient way of determining who is at risk of myopia or who will benefit from these treatments. This fundamental research project will determine the retinal and visual effects of pharmacologic agents that inhibit myopia, with the aim of determining an ocular measure that is related to myopia, which is altered by drugs that are known to slow myopia progression, and that could be used as an indication of an agent's likely effectiveness.Read moreRead less
Improving the visibility and safety of pedestrians, roadworkers and cyclists. Pedestrian and cyclist fatalities cost Australia ~$2 billion/year, accounting for a third of road users killed or seriously injured. Late visual recognition by motorists is the main reason these collisions occur. While visibility aids to improve pedestrian and cyclist conspicuity have been advocated, they have had limited success. We will use innovative driving measurement techniques to advance understanding of pedest ....Improving the visibility and safety of pedestrians, roadworkers and cyclists. Pedestrian and cyclist fatalities cost Australia ~$2 billion/year, accounting for a third of road users killed or seriously injured. Late visual recognition by motorists is the main reason these collisions occur. While visibility aids to improve pedestrian and cyclist conspicuity have been advocated, they have had limited success. We will use innovative driving measurement techniques to advance understanding of pedestrian and cyclist visibility and the effectiveness of different visibility aids for enhancing pedestrians and cyclist recognition. We will develop novel visibility aids to maximise pedestrian and cyclist conspicuity and evidence-based educational programs to improve the safety of vulnerable road users.Read moreRead less
Developing innovative contact lens designs and materials for effective and safe corneal refractive reshaping. Despite the increasing prevalence of refractive errors, there are limited options available for refractive error correction. Current contact lens designs for orthokeratology, a corneal reshaping technique which temporarily reduces refractive error, are effective for correcting only low to moderate myopia (short-sightedness). In this project, we will use innovative lens design approache ....Developing innovative contact lens designs and materials for effective and safe corneal refractive reshaping. Despite the increasing prevalence of refractive errors, there are limited options available for refractive error correction. Current contact lens designs for orthokeratology, a corneal reshaping technique which temporarily reduces refractive error, are effective for correcting only low to moderate myopia (short-sightedness). In this project, we will use innovative lens design approaches that harness the fluid forces generated in the post-lens tear film, and modulation of the corneal tissue response to these pressures, to develop novel contact lens designs in appropriate lens materials for effective and safe corneal reshaping to correct a wide range of refractive errors.Read moreRead less
Using 'biological motion' to enhance the nighttime safety of road workers, cyclists, and pedestrians. Pedestrian and cyclist fatalities are a major road safety problem, accounting for a third of road fatalities at an estimated cost of $2.5 billion/year. Late recognition of pedestrians and cyclist by drivers is the main reason for these collisions. We have shown that innovative visibility designs which involve strategic placement of reflective markers on the moveable joints can greatly enhance vi ....Using 'biological motion' to enhance the nighttime safety of road workers, cyclists, and pedestrians. Pedestrian and cyclist fatalities are a major road safety problem, accounting for a third of road fatalities at an estimated cost of $2.5 billion/year. Late recognition of pedestrians and cyclist by drivers is the main reason for these collisions. We have shown that innovative visibility designs which involve strategic placement of reflective markers on the moveable joints can greatly enhance visibility and hence safety of these vulnerable road users. We will extend this research to incorporate evaluation of these visibility solutions in real-world environments and encourage the widespread use of these designs in the real-world through education and policy change.Read moreRead less
The future of corneal refractive reshaping: can we control myopia or is the risk of corneal compromise too great? Refinement of corneal reshaping lens designs, optimised for visual outcomes through manipulation of aberrations, will significantly benefit local contact lens manufacturing and export by expanding the existing market base. This research will also strategically position Australian lens manufacturing to capitalise on the market for myopia-control contact lenses, particularly in the As ....The future of corneal refractive reshaping: can we control myopia or is the risk of corneal compromise too great? Refinement of corneal reshaping lens designs, optimised for visual outcomes through manipulation of aberrations, will significantly benefit local contact lens manufacturing and export by expanding the existing market base. This research will also strategically position Australian lens manufacturing to capitalise on the market for myopia-control contact lenses, particularly in the Asian region. Significant intellectual property will be generated for Australia in terms of enhanced understanding of the role of manipulation of corneal shape in modulating progressive myopia. Outcomes from this project will enhance the international reputation of the UNSW research group, keeping Australian science at the forefront of this area of research.Read moreRead less